Letter: Just raise the minimum wage

To the editor

Published 9:23 pm, Sunday, August 16, 2015

Although I agree with Chris Churchill's point that state and other workers need higher wages, I reject the idea that raising wages of fast-food workers detracts from that goal. His column "Pay it forward to state workers," Aug. 6, pits one set of low-wage workers against another. If he really wanted to get to the heart of the problem, he'd point out that the Senate Republican majority is dead set against raising the minimum wage for all workers, including state and child-care workers.

No worker in New York should have to choose between paying rent and putting food on the table. Gov. Andrew Cuomo proposed an increase across the board in January. He should do so, and up the amount, again this next session. The Assembly passed a bill to raise the minimum wage to $15 downstate and $12.60 upstate. Where were the Senate Republicans? Nowhere.

Raising the minimum wage is strongly supported by voters across the political spectrum. When workers have money in their pockets to spend in our communities, it's good for business and for working families. An increase at the bottom boosts wages all around and will begin to rebuild the middle class in New York.

The governor's Fast Food Wage Board is a huge step forward for 136,000 low-wage workers. Now it's time for the Senate Republicans to do the right thing for all minimum-wage workers in New York.